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"  Release Date: September 21 (Europe) September 25 (North America)Platforms available on: Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, PS2, PSP, PC, Nintendo 3DSDeveloper: KonamiPublisher: KonamiGenre: Sports With the Wii U&amp;#039;s release date revealed and the next-gen looming, PES 2013 could be Konami&amp;#039;s last chance to wrestle away FIFA&amp;#039;s footballing crown on the current crop of consoles. With improvements all over the pitch, a new license or two and some interesting developments to the game&amp;#039;s Master League mode, this is undeniably the strongest PES in quite some time. Whether it&amp;#039;s enough to topple its rival from the top of the virtual football league, however, remains to be seen. The bulk of PES 2013&amp;#039;s improvements take place on the pitch, arguably where it counts the most. The latest release either introduces or enhances manual shooting and passing, tactical defending, first touch techniques, dribbling skills and player AI. Unlike some annual sports titles (including past PES releases), improvements are clear to see, and the majority have a positive impact on the overall experience.  Take manual passing and shooting, for instance. Depending on the level of in-game assistance, players have complete control over where they play the ball, as well as the direction, height and speed of shots. Though difficult to master, even with the aid of a handy navigational arrow, it makes the action look and feel far more realistic.  The increased precision gives players a greater level of creative freedom, allowing users to better angle balls away from defenders and into the path of oncoming strikers. The improvements to manual passing and shooting are complimented by enhanced artificial intelligence. The introduction of Player ID ensures that the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi behave like their real-life counterparts, while proactive AI means that attacking players will largely make more dangerous runs, something that&amp;#039;s especially true of wingers and strikers that play off the shoulder.  Goalkeepers also benefit from an AI overhaul, showing greater intelligence and reliability than before, despite being prone to the odd clanger. Keepers are also no match for the game&amp;#039;s new sideways dribbling technique, which is employed a little too effectively by computer controlled strikers.  Defensively, meanwhile, PES 2013 treads similar ground to FIFA, focusing on hold-up play and well-timed lunges. Once again, it&amp;#039;s not an easy skill to master, and you&amp;#039;re much more likely to pick up accidental yellow cards or suffer at the hands - or feet - of the computer&amp;#039;s prolific free kick takers. Overall, however, defending is intuitive, satisfying and much more authentic than past instalments.      Off the field, PES 2013 continues to experience mixed fortunes. Though likely to prove as divisive as Mario Balotelli, Master League employs an equipment system, enabling players to purchase training and stat upgrades for individual players. Players also unlock boots, which will bump up attributes such as speed and power depending on the sponsor. Players can equip multiple items at once, though some provide only short-term effects. Leaning slightly towards FIFA&amp;#039;s Ultimate Team card system, it gives Master League something of an RPG feel, offering a greater incentive to play more games and unlock more items. It generally aids the poorer players the most, especially those without the benefit of Player ID, and serves as a means to shore up the weaker areas of a team. It also comes in handy for custom players, helping to speed up the development process.  The only question mark is how it will impact the online experience, which was unavailable for testing at the time of review. While it could work as an equaliser against the likes of Real Madrid or Barcelona, it could also make those teams near enough invincible. The developers are promising a more balanced matchmaking system, however, so we&amp;#039;ll give them the benefit of the doubt for the time being. Unfortunately, the lack of officially licensed teams continues to hurt the franchise. For all of Konami&amp;#039;s efforts to add the Brazilian league and keep hold of the Spanish, Italian and French players, Manchester United are the only licensed English team. This has a knock on effect elsewhere. The officially licensed Champions League mode, for example, is without last year&amp;#039;s winners Chelsea, as well as Arsenal and Manchester City. The commentary is also badly in need of an overhaul, with Jon Champion and Jim Beglin continuing to recycle the same old script. The presentation, meanwhile, is a little lacklustre, especially in Master League, which utilises the same cutscenes as last year. Transfer deadline day passes without a whimper, often short of any teams coming in for your finest transfer-listed players, and it&amp;#039;s frustrating that you can only go double speed while on the bench in Become a Legend. Like a hulking centre back shrugging off a diminutive winger, PES 2013&amp;#039;s pros far outweigh its cons. Similar to the Barcelona midfield, each gameplay enhancement compliments the next, leading to some beautiful free-flowing football. The title still needs some work off the field, but is far from a club in crisis. When the whistle blows and the action is go, PES 2013 is easily a match for FIFA, coming closer than ever to wining back its crown.   "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.digitalspy.com/gaming/review/a406435/pes-2013-review-ps3-a-true-return-to-form/>